A Captain's Thank You
by UnderdogHero
Summary: Yukimura and Sanada at their part-time job in the flower shop, and the unlikely customers they assist.
1. Chapter 1 Perfect Pair

A/N: So I had been wanting to do this fic for a while now, after seeing an Alpha pair picture on Zerochan. As said, this fic was inspired by fanart. I totally don't know anything about flower shops, all I know is that I like flowers but never get the chance to go to any (even though theres one like 5 blocks or less from my house) I don't know yet if this will become a multi-chapter fic, but for now it's a one-shot. I'll decide that depending on how this goes. If it is, they may turn out to be long, I have no idea how long these are actually(stupid wordpad).

Pairings: Alpha pair, suggested Perfect pair(oh my sister is gonna hate me for this, shes not exactly a fan.) Trick-or-treat pair(dunno if thats the right name, but it should be obvious. Plus, I couldn't help but put it in.)

Warning: Shounen-Ai(first actual attemppt at the actual thing, don't kill me if it's not good) By the way, this isn't AU, it's normal for teenagers to have part-time jobs, right? (In truth, I really need one, I'm just too lazy to look) This may or may not be set after the nationals.

Disclaimer: Do not own, if I did, you'd be aware.

Also, I'm not sure how I should be doing my line spacing for this, but I'll just use 2

**A Captains Thank You**

"Genichiro, look, the tulips in todays shipment are so pretty!" Yukimura said, holding out one of the bright orange flowers and holding it to his best friend and co-workers' face. Sanada turned to him with a frown.

"Seiichi, _please _stop fooling around and get back to work." He said, turning his back to the other boy and carring the pot he was holding to another corner of the store. They were working at the flower shop near their school, since they needed the extra money anyway. Of course, Yukimura had chosen for them. It didn't take much work, and he was used to taking care of flowers. Gardening was, after all, one of his hobbies. Sanada had agreed, of course. As if he could say no when his buchou looke dat him like _that _(you know the look).

Yukimura pouted at the retreating back, but turned back to the bouquet of orange flowers in his arms. Today was a slow day, so they had been given the job of replacing the dead or wilting flowers with some from the new shipments. There weren't many, seeing as he took such good care of them. Even their boss was impressed with him. He set the bouquet on the display stand, shifting it so it was lying on it's side but still looked presentable.

He turned in the direction of the back storage to get more flowers for the rest of the display, when he heard the bell at the front door ring, signaling that a customer had come. He walked to the door, ready to help whoever had come in, but stopped when he say who it was.

"Tezuka?" Tezuka looked up from the (what do you call those things they keep the flowers in to keep them fresh? Ah, forget it.) cooler (lets go with that) and turned in the direction of the blue-haired boy, who gave him a small smile. Buisness was buisness, no matter _who_ it was. Even if it _was_ one of your rivals.

"Welcome," He said, as he did with everyone who entered the store, "I'm surprised to see _you_ here, Tezuka. Is it a special occasion?" He held onto his smile, but the tone in his voice was almost teasing. Tezuka fought not to frown.

"What would you recomend for birthdays?" Tezuka said, turning his attention back to the cooler, which held many flowers of different colors. Yukimura watched him shortly before tapping his chin.

"Birthdays, birthdays..." He repeated, twisting around on his heel, deep in thought. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the approaching footsteps, or that gasp that followed. What he did notice, though, was the crash that sounded a lot like...

"You broke the pot." He heard Tezuka say clamly, and whipped his head around to see Sanada standing there, as shocked as he would have been. He also noticed the scattered pieces from the clay pot on the ground, surrounded by dirt and roses. A slightly menacing aura surrounded the boy before turning his attention back to the two.

"Tezuka? What are you-"

"I'm here to buy flowers."

"I see that. Why?" Sanada didn't look as happy as he should have. Their boss always said, _'Service with a smile!'_ and had them follow it, too. This wasn't one of those times, however, as she had to run to the store for exta supplies. Thus, this rule had no meaning at the moment.

Yukimura decided to step in.

"Gen, why don't you get a broom and clean this up, I'll handle this." He said in a tone that no one would disobey. Although some could try.

"But-"

"_Go_" He said, not very happy that one of his precious flowers was almost destroyed. Sanada walked to the back to get a broom, muttering what sounded like 'Tarundoru' and disappearing into the room. Yukimura turned his attention to the other boy.

"So, you need flowers for a birthday gift?" He said, salesman smile back on his face. Today wasn't turning out as boring as he thought.

"Yeah..." He was looking through the different displays, keeping his attention on the flowers. Yukimura hummed, tugging on the apron around his waist. He smiled as a thought ran through his head.

"If it's for a birthday, I have the perfect thing!" He said excitedly, turning on his heel and motioning for Tezuka to follow. As small as the store was, it was rather cramped. They had to be carefull not to step on any wilted flowers that may have been lying on the ground from it's pot.

"We haven't had many sales this month," Yukimura started, "Sorry if its a bit cramped, but we're trying to fix it."

"I see."

"So who's it for?" He said, turning his head to look at Tezuka. He didn't need to worry about where he was going, he already knew the way.

Tezuka raised and eyebrow. "Why" He sounded like he didn't want to tell.

Yukimura chuckled and turned his attention back to walking. "I need to know so I can right the name on the tag." He said, which was partly true. He honestly just wanted to know who could make Tezuka buy flowers. He heard Tezuka sigh before mumbling something, though he didn't catch it.

"Who?" He asked.

"Fuji." He repeated. Yukimura had to stop himmself from giggling like a girl. Of _course_ it would be Fuji. Who else would it be this time of year, especially since its a leap-year. It was, after all, February 29.

"then this one is perfect." He said with a smile.

They stopped at another display cooler, and Yukimura slid the door open and pulled out a small bouquet of Daffodils (my sis picked, I couldn't decide.). Tezuka looked at them with a small spark in his eyes. They _did_ look nice.

"These are perfect for birthdays, and the color goes good with a Cactus's, right?"

Tezuka had to admit, the colors _were_ a good combination: yellow and green. He nodded his head in approval and they made their wat to the check-out desk.

"Would you like me to wrap them?" Yukimura asked, placing the tied flowers on the table. Tezuka nodded and he pulled out a sheet of (what are the things that they wrap flowers in called? Nevermind.) brightly colored green paper and a yellow ribbon. He carefully wrapped up the flowers and tied the bottom with the ribbon. Pressing a few buttons on the register, it made a _ding_ sound and the small electronic screen on it showed the price.

"The total is 2,100 yen." Yukimura said, lookin up at Tezuka. The Seigaku captain pulled out his wallet and paid. Yukimura opened the register (I have no idea how it goes, I'm just going by what I see at stores.) and counted the change.

"That was oddly cheap, I thought it would be more." Tezuka said, taking his change and recipt. Yukimura smiled and said, "Captain's discount."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow. "Are you allowed to do that?" He asked, wondering if he would get the other in any trouble. He wouldn't want the captain to lose his job, rival or not, he probably needed it.

Yukimura kept his smile. "My boss won't mind, I've done it before. Besides, its not as if we're losing any buisness. It was only a small difference anyway." He said, then looked at Tezuka.

"I'm just wondering," He started, "why come all the way to Kanagawa for flowers? Surely Tokyo has a lot of flower shops."

Tezuka picked up the bouquet, holding it carefully in his arms before turning. "I heard they have good flowers here, and I wanted it to be a good gift." And he headed towards the exit. Yukimura took the answer, waving him off.

"Thank you for your buisness." He called after, hearing the door open and close. Sanada walked in, carrying a dust pan and broom. He looked around the store, a puzzled look on his face.

"He left?" He asked, heading to where the remains of the broken clay pot still were. He began sweeping while Yukimura leaned forward on the counter. He had a small smile on his face.

"Yeah, made a good choice, too." He said with a chuckle. Sanada looked at him, but decided not to say anything about the matter.

xXxXxXx

Tezuka walked up to the door and knocked, the bouquet hidden behind his back. He was late by 15 minutes, but it would be worth it if Fuji liked the gift. He heard footsteps approach the door before it was opened, revealing Fuji's sister, Yumiko.

"Oh, Tezuka-kun! Syuusuke, Tezuka-kun is here!" She called, and moved so that he could step in. Her eyes spotted the bouquet behind his back, and she smiled before closing the door and heading to the kitchen. Fuji came in shortly after, and when he saw Tezuka, his face brightened and he jumped onto him, throwing his arms around the taller boy's neck.

"You late! I thought you weren't coming." He said with a pout, eyes open and looking at him sadly. Tezuka gace him a short peck on the lips, before pulling away, Fuji giving him a confused look. He noticed Tezuka hiding something behind his back, but when he moved to see what it was, Tezuka turned so he couldn't. He had a playful grin on his face.

"Close your eyes." He said, and Fuji did as told. He opened his eyes when he smelled something sweet under his nose and gasped at the sight. Daffodils wrapped in bright green and tied with a ribbon. He lifted the flowers out of Tezuka's hands.

"I didn't know what to get you, so i got the first thing that came to mind." He said, and was surprised when he felt a pair of soft lips press to his. He wrapped his arms around the shorter boy's waist, pulling him closer. It seemed like forever that they stayed like that, until he heard a low whistle, and the two pulled away immediately(I have trouble spelling that word) and looked to the source of the sound. Standing in the entrance to the kitchen were the other regulars, most grinning widely.

Momo yelled out, "Go buchou!" before he fell over, bringing Eiji and Kaidoh down with him. Why they had piled up on each other was a mystery. Fuji blushed and chuckled lightly before walking over to the kitchen, stepping dangerously close to Momo's head. Tezuka followed with a sigh, his footsteps almost following Fuji's, just not as close. The others followed, after recovering from their fall. Everyone was seated at the table, all chatting with each other. Even Yuuta was there.

_I should thank Yukimura... When was his birthday? I'll ask Inui._

xXxXxXx

-5 days later...I think-

The Rikkai regulars were all seated in Yukimura's living room. It was the captain's birthday.

Yukimura was seated on the couch, Sanada to his right and Akaya to his left. They had finished the cake, and everyone wanted him to open his gifts. He, of course, opened Sanada's first, much to the disappointment of a certain 8th grader. Following Sanada's was Akaya's, Yanagi's, and everyone else's that I'm too lazy to write(and can't think of gifts). Marui had, instead of a gift, bought the cake and had it covered on all corners with candy flowers and little pictures of flowers, what was going through his mind at the time was unknown, and the cake was covered in them.

They were interupted by Yukimura's mother walking into the room, a small box in her hands.

"Seiichi, a package came for you." She said, handing him the box and heading back to the kitchen to entertain the other family members that had come. Yukimura scanned the box until he found the sticker with the address and sender.

"Tezuka...Kunimitsu?" He read, much to his team's surprise. Why would Tezuka give their buchou a gift? Wait, how did he know it was his birthday?

"He most likely asked Sadaharu." Yanagi said, answering everyone's unasked question. Yukimura nodded and tore the tape off, opening the box. His eyes widened at the contents.

"A bear...?" Akaya said, looking at the stuffed animal from side to side. It was blue, with different colored flowers(wow I've been using this word a lot lately) all over it. It was definately cute, and Yukimura placed it on his lap, a smile on his face. He noticed there was a cars and picked it up, reading it out loud softly.

_Thanks for the help, he did like it._

_Think of this as a thank you gift_

_- Tezuka Kunimitsu_

Yukimura couldn't help but laugh a little, making the others look at him confused. He waved it off, saying it was just something to do with his job. The others took the answer.

"Does this mean you like Tezuka-san's present more than fuku-buchou's?" Akaya said, a smirk on his lips. Sanada gave him a dark look that made him shrink in his seat. Yukimura smiled sweetly.

"Of course not, I like Genichiro's gift best, I just think Tezuka's taste in gifts is a bit odd, but it _is_ cute." He said, leaning on Sanada's shoulder. Sanada wrapped his arm around the smaller boy, a small smile on his face, though he tried to hide it.

Marui rolled his eyes. "At least Sanada give you good gifts. 'Haru is the most unromantic guy there is." He said, chewing his gum. Niou faked a hurt look, before wrapping his arm around Marui's shoulder, grinning.

"At least i still get you something, right? Besides, if I didn't love you, I wouldn't have gotten you anything." Marui huffed, but leaned into the hold anyway.

Yukimura was happy, his team was with him, and he had a new little friend to talk with now. He noticed Sanada's gaze on him, and turned to give the other a small kiss on the cheek, smiling.

"I mean it," He said, resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder, "I like yours best, I just find it funny Tezuka would send me something."

Sanada sighed, but held the other tighter.

"As long as it doesn't take my place next to you, I'm okay."

xXxXxXx

It's 3:14 am, I drank 3 cans of soda, and I'm starting to feel the crash. It was a bit awkward to write this, especially the couple scenes. I'm just not used to it. Oh well, with the stuff I have piled up, I'll have to get used to it, won't I? i also noticed Sanada didn't get many lines, did he? I'll need to give him more in the next one. I also might've made them a bit OOC. My sis literally screamed "EW" whe I told her a side pair was perfect pair. She wanted a threesome with Ryoma in it, but I said no. There are actually a lot of loopholes in this fic.

I also decided to add another chapter or two to this, since I couldn't resis t having the other pairings here. I'm still working on other stuff, but most likely I'll be putting up either super long one-shots or short multi-chapter fics.

Now, I better get to sleep, I'm going with my mom in the morning. She's taking me to play tennis with her co-worker. Who, coincidentally, started playing for the same reason as me. Well not exactly the same, but similar. Apparently, she started because she liked PoT. i started in middle school and only started again 'cuz PoT got me back into it. Okay night night.

Oh, next chapter: Atobe and Hiyoshi(don't kill me if you don't approve, my sister almost didn't) Can anyone tell me their pairing name? I don't know if I have the right one.


	2. Chapter 2 Dominance Pair

A/N: MY MOMMY LIED TO ME D: She told me she'd take me to play tennis with her co-worker at the courts near her house, BUT I WENT TO THE DENTIST INTEAD. Oh, the horror. After 4 fillings, the left side of my mouth was numb so I couldn't type this, and it sucks how you start feeling it afterwards when it's not. Now that summer is here, I can't tell the time by looking out the window, so I can't sleep normally anymore. It's currently 1 am. Also, I'm sure I make a lot of grammer mistakes, but I'm not good with figuring out apostrophe (did I spell that right?) goes in a word. Like with "Its" I don't know where to put it. A mystery I passed creative writing in middle school, right? Then again, we didn't do much writing, and it was an extra credit club. If anyone can help, or explain it, it'll make things a lot easier.(ah dammit now I remembered I needed to look up winter flowers for this one D: *does while thinking about chapter*)

This chapter I try to figure out how to make Atobe "romantic" in a way that either won't embarass me with trying to write it, or a way that will actually keep the story going and not make them seem OOC again(thank you for pointing that out, I'll try again with Sanada.) It's just hard to work with certain characters personalities. Also, the chapters won't have names for them, since that makes it harder to post up. Also, I wasn't sure how I was gonna make Atobe address himself, it was something that I had spent all night thinking about and still hadn't decided on yet. Oh well, I'll think of something(I hope) This chapter will be fairly longer than the other, since it was the one I actually wanted to do the most. Plus, I probably like this pair more than Golden pair now.

Pairings: Alpha pair(as if it wasn't obvious), Atobe/Hiyoshi(if anyone knows the pair name, do tell, the one I know can't be the only one) Mentioned Silver and Dirty pair.

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't know if I'm supposed to put this every chapter.

On with the story :D! Oh, and notice how it totally skipped, like, 8 months.

**A Captain's Thank You part 2**

Christmas lights lined the streets of the city. It was December 5th, and the store had gotten over thirty orders for Poinsettia, Christmas cactus, holly, Christmas roses, ivy, mistletoe, etc. They had to re-stock at least every other day to keep up with the orders (wow it doesn't sound like a flower shop anymore.)

Sanada placed the pot he had been carrying on the shelf, inspecting his work. Flower pots lined the shelf near the front of the store, filled with different flowers for the Christmas season. On the other side of the store, Yukimura's display was a bit more... colorful. The pots had been painted in different colors opposite to the flower planted inside it. The flowers themselves didn't look very Christmas-like, but if their boss liked it, he would leave it as that.

He was just about to run to the back for the next group of plants for the next display, when the doors to the store were thrown open, a very panicked Atobe standing there. He began to look around. Sanada attempted a very quick escape, hoping the other boy wouldn't notice him. He wasn't too lucky.

"Sanada!" Atobe shouted, pointing in his direction, having noticed the movement. Sanada froze on the spot, knowing he wouldn't be able to get away now. He turned to face Atobe face-to-face, quiet litterally. Atobe was directly in front of him, that when he turned, he immediately saw two bright blue eyes looking straight at him. Atobe clapped his hands on Sanada's shoulders, preventing him from moving. "I need flowers! Now!"

Sanada raised an eyebrow. "Wh-"

"Don't ask, I just need them." Atobe said, turning away. He brought up his arm and pulled back his sleeve, taking a look at his watch. His eyes widned and he pulled his sleeve back down. He turned back to Sanada. "I need them fast, I don't have much time."

At that moment, Yukimura decided to make his entrance. He looked from Sanada, to Atobe, then back to Sanada. He smiled. "I'll let you handle this." And with a small wave, he turned around and walked to the back of the store. He wasn't going to appear for a while, it seemed. Inside his head, Sanada groaned. It had to be _Atobe_ that he was stuck with, not just some random customer. Glancing at the spot where Yukimura had just been, he turned back to Atobe, who was looking at him hopefully. _It has to ba something big_, he thought,_ if Atobe is in such a rush._

"What kind of flowers are you looking for." He said calmly, hoping that it would end soon. Though it didn't seem so. Atobe stared at him for a total of two minutes before, "I don't know."

Sanada felt like slapping the other. If he didn't know, how was he supposed to help? Atobe had a thoughtful look on his face, wondering what kind of flower _he_ would like. He had been told flowers were a good gift to give someone for their birthday when you had nothing else on hand, but he didn't think it mattered what kind. He remembered Shishido giving Choutarou roses on the boys'(is that where it goes?) birthday when he couldn't think of a gift, and Oshitari had done the same for Gakuto. But roses were so common. Perhaps somethng blue? Or maybe pink. He was so deep in thought, he didn't notice Sanada looking at him with a scowl. It wasn't until he reminded him of one very important detail that he got Atobe's attention.

"I thought you were short on time." He said coldly, wanting to get rid of the silver-haired captain quickly. Atobe gasped.

"That's right!" He said out loud, Sanada winced at the volume, and clapped his hands together. "I need something nice, that goes with winter. Maybe something white, or blue." He said, not bothering with any _actual_ details.

_Just color and season_, Sanada thought, eyebrow twitching, _Yes, thats very helpful, Atobe_. He turned, motioning for Atobe to follow. He did, but continued talking.

"Ore-sama wouldn't have thought you work at a flower shop, Sanada." He said, having calmed down. Sanada knew that if he didn't reply the conversation would continue, one-sided it may be, but still annoying.

"Seiichi found the job," He said, then asked the question that had been sitting in the back of his mind for the last 4, maybe 5, minutes. "Why do you need flowers so badly? And why not a store in Tokyo?" He heard Atobe pause behind him, before continuing to follow the taller boy to the other end of the shop, where they kept their seasonal flowers. A small smile appeared on Atobe's face.

"For my ore-sama's favorite person of course." He said proudly, "And Tezuka said that you have a good selection here." He looked around, noting that the shop was very orderly for a place with so much dirt(I'm sorry if there are any objections to this). He was busy looking in the opposite direction that they were walking that he almost bumped into Sanada when he stopped. In front of them were display stands of different winter themed flowers. Atobe scanned through the selectionl. They were all very beautiful, but he wanted to find the perfect one.

His eyes stopped at a group at the end. They were pure white, the petals curling in towards the stems, with hints of purple going through the middle (its kinda hard to miagine, but it was all I could think of). He stared at them and decided. He wanted that one. He pointed it out to Sanada, who lifted the bouquet up from the metal ring it was perched on. Sanada turned it to the left a little, looking at the price sticker on the side of the plastic. He looked at Atobe.

"It's rather expensive," He said, lifting the bouquet up for the other to see, "Are you sure? There are others." Atobe waved it off.

"Price doesn't matter, I'll pay whatever I need to. This is a special day, after all." He said, a smile on his face.

_This person must be very special, _He thought, as they made their way to the check-out dest,_ he seems so willing to give anything_. Placing the bouquet on the table, he went behind the counter.

"Would you like me to wrap it?" He asked, already knowung the answer. Atobe nodded eagerly, glancing at the wall clock. _Got to hurry._ When asked what color, he said it didn't matter and let Sanada choose. Sanada thought he would choose something nice, seeing as Atobe wanted it to be special. He wrapped it in a light purple plastic(don't know what it's called) and tied it with a red ribbon. Atobe paid with his card, taking the recipt and the bouquet, carefully.

Something dawned on Sanada when he looked at the calendar. Does'nt Hyotei still have school this month?

"Don't you have class?" He asked, finally noticing what was wrong. Atobe merely smiled and walked to the door.

"Maybe."

He watched at the silver-haired captain left, the door ringing shut behind him. He turned to then right, facing the door to the storage room.

"I know your there." He said, making his way back to the front to finish with his display. The door opened and Yukimura peeked out, a smile on his face.

"I see that went well," He said, walking out and leaning on the counter, watching the other arrange the pots and vases by the door.

"You would have been better help to him, you know, he probably would have decided sooner." Sanada turned to look at his captain, who was playing with a strand of blue hair.

"Aww, but wheres the fun in that? Besides, at least he got his flowers. Though I have to wonder, whose the special someone that managed to capture Atobe's heart?" He chuckled at the thought.

Sanada _was_ a bit curious, but knew better than to get caught up in another person's love life. "Maybe Renji knows." He said, their friend most likely knew who was dating who among the tennis teams. Yukimura smiled.

"Let's go ask him."

xXxXxXx

Atobe ran through the front gates of the school, making his way to the tennis courts. Practice would have started already,with or without him. Oshitari would make sure of that. He stopped at the door to the clubhouse, glancing around to make sure no one noticed him. If they did, they didn't make it known. He slipped into the building, the bouquet of flowers held firmly in his arms. He set it down on the bench and glanced out the window. Everyone was too busy practicing to notice someone was in the clubhouse, so he made sure to put that to good use.

Changing quickly into his tennis uniform, he carefully placed the bouquet in his locker before shutting it and walking out. He scanned the tennis grounds, knowing someone, most likely the regualars, had noticed him by now. He found who he was looking for on another one of the courts.

Hiyoshi was having a match against Jirou, not looking too happy.

_Stupid Atobe,_ Hiyoshi thought, hitting back another ball that came his way, a bit too hard, _It's my birthday and he's not even here, even the other regulars greeted me._

Atobe chuckled. _How cute, _he thought, seeing the pout on the younger boy's face as he played. He was tempted to go over and interupt the match, just to talk, but decided against it. He would most likely end up with a large lump on his head, done by a tennis ball. He dicided to play it safe and called out.

"Hiyoshi!" He called, grabbing said person's attention. He turned around quickly, ignoring the ball that flew past his shoulder. Hiyoshi's eyes widened. Atobe motioned for him to come over and he did, debating over being happy that Atobe was actually there, or to smack him for _not_ being there.

Atobe held out his arms, expecting a hug. He was met with a glare and a frown. Hiyoshi didn't speak, just openly glared at his captain, while still thinking over his options: hug or hit? He chose both.

He approached Atobe, letting the other embrace him tightly, before giving him a very hard pound to the back. Atobe cried out a little, rubbing the sore spot on his back, giving the shorter boy a surprised look. A few people were watching them now, a few of the regulars trying to hold in their laughter. He decided to bring the approaching conversation somewhere more private.

He pulled Hiyoshi along into the clubhouse, making sure no one, namely a certain trio, didn't follow them. After shutting the door behind them, he turned back to Hiyoshi, a look of pure shock on his face.

"What was that for?" He almost shouted, though he did find the event almost funny. Hiyoshi scowled at him. "Why do you think?"

Atobe let out a cheerful laugh, holding out his arms, "Let's try again." Hiyoshi rolled his eyes, but leaned into the embrace, returning it as best as he could. Atobe lifted him up, swinging them in circles with a smile on his face. "Ore-sama is forgiven!" Hiyoshi let out a sigh, after being put down on solid ground. He gripped Atobe's shirt, feeling his anger drain away.

He looked up at Atobe, who was looking at him with gentle eyes. Hiyoshi blushed, burying his face in the other's shirt. Atobe chuckled and held him close, brushing his fingers through the light brown hair. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Atobe pulled away, Hiyoshi giving him a confused look.

"Close your eyes." He said, poking Hiyoshi in the forehead, causing his eyes to close. Hiyoshi kept them shut, as told, and waited. He heard the sound of one of the lockers opening then closing, before something was held near his face. It smelled really good...

"Open them." He heard, and when he did, his eyes widened. In front of him was a bouquet of white-purple flowers, wrapped in a purple plastic film and tied with a red ribbon. He took it, carefully, eyes glinting with appreciation. Atobe grinned, wrapping his arms around the shorter boy, careful not to crush the flowers. He planted a small kiss on his forehead. Hiyoshi looked up, giving Atobe a small smile before leaning up to give the taller boy a proper kiss.

Atobe smiled into the kiss, holding the other closer. He pulled away after a minute, needing air. He looked the other in the eyes.

"Happy birthday." He said with a smile.

"Hiyoshi smiled, then he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Realization struck him.

"Did you lock the door..?" He asked, hoping he wasn't seeing what he thought he was seeing from his position. His question was answered when Atobe's eyes widened just barely and they both turned to see the door open a crack, three people peeking in. Hiyoshi blushed, hiding his face in Atobe's chest as the others were called in, Atobe looking all but happy.

"Has't anyone told you not to spy?" He asked the three who walked in. Gakuto just laughed, Jirou joining him a second later. It was only Shishido who managed to keep somewhat sane. "Hasn't anyone told you to lock the door when you want privacy, buchou?" He said with a smirk. Atobe didn't take the comment too lightly, and Shishido almost regretted it.

"60 laps. Now" He commanded, and the others rushed out, Gakuto and Jirou still smiling widely after letting out their laughter. Shishido rolled his eye, following the two. Hiyoshi finally looked back up.

"_Only_ 60?" He asked, a plsyful grin on his face. Atobe returned the look. "Why, you want me to add more?" "Please."

Atobe chuckled and walked over to the door, yelling to the running regulars to 'add 15 more' and came back in, sitting on the bench. He patted his lap, something Hiyoshi knew too well what to do. Rolling his eyes, he went over, Atobe pulling him down so he was seated on the other's lap. Atobe held on to him, not letting go. Hiyoshi laughed.

"What's so funny?" Atobe asked, wondering what about them being spied on was so funny. Hiyoshi looked at him.

"Nothing. I was just thinking that, out of all my other birthdays, thi sone has to be my favorite." He said, leaning on Atobe, who smiled and agreed.

xXxXxXx

It was saturday, and winter break had started a few days ago for them. Yukimura and Sanada were seated on the couch in Sanada's living room, watching a movie on tv. Yukimura layed head on Sanada's shoulder, moving closer to share the warmth. Sanada wrapped his arm around the shorter boy's shoulder, holding him close. Their silence(if you ignore the tv) was interupted when Sanada's mother walked in.

"Genichiro, you have a letter." She said, handing him the envelope and walking back to the kitchen. Sanada looked at the name of the sender, and raised his eyebrow.

"Atobe?" He said, grabbing Yukimura's attention. He opened the letter, pulling out the piece of paper along with a small plastic card. He read it so that only the two of them could hear.

_" Thank you for your help, Ore-sama is grateful and not bruised at all thanks to your help._

_Alongside this letter I have included a card for unlimited use of my gym for your team. Use it as you please._

_Signed, Atobe Keigo"_

Sanada heard a chuckle from Yukimura, but in truth, at least it was a useful thank you gift.

As long as the rest of the team would behave themselves.

xXxXxXx

Aaahhh it's 4:00 am and I have a party to get to in about... 10, maybe 12, hours. I need sleep. I had intended to finish this at 1 and sleep, but I got distracted(read: couldn't bring myself to type due to the scenes going on, you know the ones.) and ekpt walking around the house. I know I have bad grammer when it comes to placement, but my teachers never comment on it, so I never got help with it. I also noticed that I made a few spelling errors in the previous chapter.

It's funny, I was looking for the name of the plastic thing they use to wrap flowers, so I typed in google "What do they wrap flowers in" and nearly died laughing at the results. Right there, at the very top, was _**this **_fic. Yup, the results threw my own fic at me xD I didn't know whether to feel happy or sad. But yeah, it was just really funny.

I'm not sure what pairs to put in the next chapters, but after a little thinking(read: I can't walk in a straight line, oh, hello wall -_-) I decided on chapter 3.

Next chapter: Naniwa pair :D

Yeah, I just started liking the pair a little while ago, so I decided to use it while thinking of the next chapters after. What pairs should I use? I dunno if I'm gonna do one pair per school or... no I'll do different pairs. Any ideas? I'll try my best :D

Night~(or, morning I thinkg, oh hey, is that the sun I see?)


	3. Chapter 3 Naniwa Pair

A/N: Believe me when I say I had started this last night right after I got home (around 9:30-ish) from a party, but didn't post it up and accidentally didn't save it. That, and i was too distracted to finish it. I still don't know where in the series this is set, but it's probably gonna be set high school for them, since it's jumping months depending on what pairing goes where. Just a few minutes ago my friend convinced me to let him come over to play video games. In all honesty, I don't really want anyone visiting unless it's someone I really know well, but my friends this year(at least 1 of them) are far too persistent. Odd, huh? I also didn't wat to go to that party, and when I told him "My mom has work, she can't take me or pick me up" he had his uncle drive him over "oh hey we can give you a ride and back" God dammit, can't anyone I know take "NO" as an answer? Ahh, I'm ranting to you guys again.

This chapter: Naniwa pair. First time writing this pair, and it's super late(not really) right now, so I'm sorry if it isn't too good D:

Did I do OK last chapter? I wasn't sure if I had made anyone OOC, especially Atobe. For some reason, I seem to be doing fime with Yukimura, but... OH HEY I just decided than one of these chapters, maybe the last one, _will_ be totally focused on Alpha Pair.

Anyways~ On with the show - er, story!(I forgot the line spacing again...)

**A Captain's Thank You part 3**

It way finally summer break, (where does the time go, it was just December, wasn't it?) and the July heat was almost as bad as the cold in November. That didn't stop practice, though. Or work. Now that summer had started, they had taken more work days. Needless, to say, it was better than staying at home, in the heat, doing nothing, or practicing 24/7.

Yukimura watered the Dahlias, his favorites, softly singing to himself.

_living ni wood deck mon ni arch_

_sensu yoku hanging de_

_yaru dake no koto wa yatte ato wa inoru_

_gardening ashita mo gardening_

_ashita mo gardening_

It wasn't exactly the same thing, he knew, but it was close. Hearing the ding of the door opening, he turned around to greet whoever came in. He walked to the front, almost surprused to see Naniwa's speed star, Oshitari Kenya, wandering around the store, looking as if he had run all the way from Osaka.

Which wouldn't have surprised him, one of his teammates had done that during the nationals. And Kenya certainly was fast enough. He watched in amusement as Kenya walked from one display to another, looking through the flowers on the shelves, then turning away to another shelf, losing interest within a matter of seconds.

_I know he likes to do things fast,_ Yukimura thought, watching the Shitenhouji regular turn away from another shelf directly after looking at it,_ But is he even _looking_ at the flowers?_

He walked up to the boy, just as he was turning around, and they almost slammed into each other. Kenya took a second to register who was in front of him, before a small smile appeared on his face.

"Yukimura-san!" He greeted th blue-haired boy, "What are you doing here?"

Yukimura smiled back, "I work here, me and Sanada." He said, happy that for once they had a sane customer. "Is there anything your looking for?" He asked, as the other was still looking around the store. Kenya turned back to him, a nervous grin on his face.

"Actually, yeah." He started, looking to the side. "Today is a Zaizen's birthday, and I wanted to get him flowers, and I heard this place has a good selection, so..." Yukimura began to wonder _who_ exactly was the one telling people, certain people, about this store in particular. It was good, but seeing the same people shortly after one just stopped by was a bit... odd.

Kenya was looking through the displays again ,this time taking a bit more time to actual take in some details. _It's for a birthday,_ Yukimura repeated in his head,_ again_. There had been a lot of birthdays lately, he realised. He chuckled and walked up to Kenya, patting him on the shoulder. The boy turned to look at him.

"I'll help you out," He said, "I know just the one." He motioned for Kenya to follow him, towards one corner in the store. It was July, so he knew the perfect one. It had a special meaning, too. Stopping at the third display in the store, he reached forward and picked up an, already wrapped, bouquet. The flowers themselves were small, but all of them bunched together made it look wondeful. They had pure white petals and the stems in the middle had been cut down to make it easy to carry. He saw several others of the same kind, different colors.

"What are they?" He asked, looking at the flowers from side to side, noting how the stems were cut just halfway and tied together. under the wrapping.

"They're called 'Larkspur'. They're July flowers that are perfect for birthdays." Yukimura explained, noticing the glint in the light-haired boy's eyes. "The colors have different meanings. White blossoms signify a happy-go-lucky nature, pink represent fickleness, and purple represents first love and a sweet disposition. Or so I read." Kenya looked at the flowers thoughtfully, before a grin rose to his face. He looked back to Yukimura.

"How much are the purple ones?" He asked. Yukimura couldn't help but smile at the question. Though who'd have thougt he'd pick the ones with the only romantic meaning.

"They're normally around 4,100 yen," He said, noting the frown that crossed Kenya's face, and he smiled, "But for today, seeing as it's a special occasion, I'll drop it to 2,100." Kenya's face lit up, and he smiled widely.

"Seriously? Thank you, Yukimura-san! I owe you." He said, bowing. Yukimura chuckled. He enjoyed seeing someone happy with flowers, so it was worth it. And his boss hadn't minded when he gave Tezuka the discount, so it should still be okay. They walked over to the counter, and, as usual, the register beeped and Knya paid.

"Thank you veryv much." He said, then glanced at his watch, "Oh, I better get going, the party is gonna start soon." He smiled again to Yukimura, who waved him off.

"Go on, you don't wanna be late." He said with an encouraging smile. "Give Zaizen-kun my regards."

"Thank you, I wil." And with that, he rushed out the door. In the opposite direction of either the bus stop or the station. Yukimura wondered if he really _had_ run all the way from Osaka just for flowers. His thoughts were interuppted when the door opened again, the sound signaling that someone else had come in.

Sanada walked up to the counter, settign down several bags with things needed to care for the flowers. Oh, thats where he went.

"Welcome back." Yukimura said, his smile not leaving it's place. Sanada nodded, too tired to respond. Why they needed four bags of fertilizer was beyond , and why he had to go _alone_. He leaned on the counter, feeling more relaxed now that he didn't have the load on his arms. He heard Yukimura chuckle.

"Did something happen?" He asked, wondering what put his buchou in such a good mood. When he left, the boy hadn't been to happy with the idea of having to watch the store alone. It seemed they're boss was always too busy to do it herself when they weren't at school. Yukimura just smiled up at him.

"you missed a rather interesting customer." He said, not giving any details. Though it didn't seem like he needed to, seeing the frown that had settled on Sanada's face. He understood too well what he meant.

"Which school?" He said with a sigh, already dreading the answer. It wasn't as if he didn't like the fact that other people they had played against visited, it's just that the most recent ones had given him a headache after the visit. Why Inui hadn't gone to a local flower shop in Tokyo just to pick up Snap dragons was beyond him. Though he did notice when he looked outside shortly after, the data collector was writing in his notebook, most likely something about their job and how they act during them. Yukimura thought the event was amusing, as he had Sanada to take the order instead.

"Shitenhouji." He heard, and was left to wonder if that really _was_ Oshitari Kenya he saw run past him. The boys was probably going to run back to where ever he was going, after his teammate had said it was much easier than waiting for a bus or train. He didn't want to think about it.

Yukimura patted his head. "It was interesting, and now we know something new." He said, and Sanada raised and eyebrow. "Theres actually someone there that has a sense of romance." He began to think about what Kenya had meant when he said 'I owe you one'.

xXxXxXx

Kenya ran past several buildings, not stopping for a second to look about his surroundings. He knew where he was going, and he didn't have time to wait for a train. He didn't want to be late, after all.

_Kin-chan was right, this _is _a lot faster than the train or bus,_ He thought, as he passed the familiar buildings he always saw on the way to school. Though he would probably arrive sweaty and tired, he picked up his speed and ran up to the clubhouse. After a couple of deep breaths, he grabbed the handle on the door and pushed it open.

"I'm here!" He yelled upon entering, getting a couple of stares from the rooms inhabitants(ooh I spelled a big word :D) Shiraishi raised and eyebrow, but grinned. The others looked like they were trying to hold in their laughter, while he approached the second youngest person in the room.(why do I keep hearing weird noises as I type?)

He grinned widely at the shorter boy. "Happy birthday!" He shouted, causing Zaizen to flinch. He was about to say something, most likely about the volume of his senpai's voice and using indoor voices, but was stopped when Kenya held out the bouquet. His eyes widened, not having noticed the bright purple flowers when the door flew open. Not to mention Kenya looked like he had run through half of Japan and back. Which he probably did. Zaizen slowly took the bouquet, still staring at it. It _was_ really nice, and it's the thought that counts. After all, he recognized the flower from when Akaya had shown him and Hiyoshi a flower dictionary he had borrowed from his buchou - why he had borrowed it in the first place was still a mystery, he refused to tell them - and if he remembered the definition correctly...

His cheeks heated up, holding the bouquet closer. "Thanks..." He mumbled, not quite sure if Kenya caught the happy tone that was just barely there. He did, and decided to do what Zaizen feared he would do.

"Your welcome." He said, and planted a sweet kiss on the shorter boy's forehead. He turned to see the rest of the team trying, and failing horribly, to hold in their laughter. He frowned at them, and Kenya noticed too. He had his own way of shutting them up though.

"Okay, why don't we start with a game of truth-or-dare!" He said, and eveyone in the room, except Zaizen and Kintarou, one of which knew what was about to happen, and the other had no clue. Kenya's smile widened. "Since it's Zaizen's birthday, he gets to go first, and twice." He added.

Zaizen hid his smile behind the purple flowers. Leave it to his senpai to find the perfect way for him to enjoy his birthday.

"Then I'll start with buchou." He said. Shiraishi paled.

xXxXxXx

Yukimura sighed. He had been searching online for any good spots for tennis practice, and wasn't getting any luck. A knock on his door snapped him out of his daze, he realized he had been staring at the screen for two minutes, and went to open his door.

His mother was standing there. She held out her hand, a letter being handed to him. "It's for you, someone from Osaka?" she said, a questioning look on her face. He shrugged it off, saying it was from a friend. He returned to his room, sitting on the bed. He decided to give up on finding a training spot, their courts were good enough. Opening the leter, he smile as he read to himself.

_Couldn't figure out how to repay you, call if anything comes to mind._

_Oh, and thanks again, I managed to get away without having to explain anything. He said they were really nice and thanks._

_-Oshitari Kenya_

At the bottom, written in messy print, was a number. A thought popped into his mind. Grabbing his cell phone from the computer desk, he scrolled to his contacts and, after finding the right one, pressed talk. It beeped for a few times before the person on the other end answered.

"_Seiichi?" _Sanada said, wondering what his lover could want at this hour. It was nearly 11.

"Gen? What do you think about having a practice match with Shitenhouji tomorrow?"

xXxXxXx

I had a lot of fun with this chapter. I also noticed how hardly any of the otehr characters get to speak. Both Momo and Shishido only got one line each D: That'll change next chapter though. I also decided to finally upload a story thats been on my mind for a while now, but I'll save that for when my friend leaves. Wow, it's a good thing he's not into fanfiction. In all honesty, they distract me from updating regularly. That, and lately I've been obssesed with Dream Live these past few days(weeks)

'Larkspur' is a july birt flower that was popular in the Victorian era(or whatever) the colors have different meanings and they're supposed to make great birthday gifts. Too bad mine's in winter D: From now on I'll probably be doing the flowers by month, and not at random. Though last chapter, despite having worked very hard on it, I had to make one up since my internet wasn't working D: I would have picked something nice.

I tried my best on this chapter, and now I'm gonna try to get my usual sleep pattern back. Earlier waking, earlier updates :D

Next chapter: Silver pair. This was a suggestin, as I wasn't sure yet if it was gonna be one pair per school or not. But there'll be a few POV changes in this one but nothing big.


	4. Chapter 4 Silver Pair

A/N: (It got deleted again, the first one) So I finally got to meet with my mom's co-worker to play a match, too bad the courts near her house were closed so I ended up going with them to a resterant instead. I had a nice talk though, when my mom wasn't interupting. When I got home though, I was dead tired and slept until 9, then went online. I have a new fic coming out called _On the Other Side_ set in the New Prince of Tennis after chapter 48. It's the same pair as chapter 2, which I still don't have another name for. I had to edit that chapter a little earlier, since some words got removed thanks to my **wonderful**(note the sarcasm) wordpad.

This chapter: Silver pair, first time writing them.

I hope I'm doing OK with the characters. This chapter, for once, won't be writen from the Alpha pair's POV. I thought I'd try something new.

**A Captain's Thank You part 4(I think)**

It was different, that's for sure. He'd never been to Kanagawa, much less the capital. He'd been told by Atobe that if he wanted a selection, to go there. He'd even been given a map. Not wanting to waste any time, he said a quick thank you and made a dash for the train station. He had to be quick, knowing how fast time flies when your not paying attention.

It was Valentines day after all. There was no way Shishido Ryou was going to mess this up.

He ran through the streets, taking glances at the poorly drawn map in his hands, wishing he had given his captain more time to make it. He was in a rush though, and the train was leaving soon. He spotted his target two blocks away, picking up his speed.

_Kanagawa Florist_, he though, _How original._ He pushed the thought aside, and when he came near the window, he nearly froze.

_So many people!_ He wondered just _how _popular the shop really was. He had hoped for it to be nearly empty, so he could get away without being seen. It seemed as though luck was not on his side at the moment. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and had to hold in any laughter. _So _that's_ why there are so many people,_ he though, as he spotted a certain blue-haired boy assisting three women with choosing between roses or tulips. He gasped as he remembered the reason he was there. Walking up to the door, he took a deep breath before pushing it open. He heard a 'welcome', and before he could wander around and pick quickly, he was met with a rather surprised look, which disappeared the moment it appeared. Sanada looked him, expecting to be adressed, but before any words could be said, he was cut off by a soft gasp, followed by a cheerful smile.

"Shishido-kun, it's good to see you." Yukimura said in a cheerful tone. He seemed happy, which wasn't too much of a surprise when he remembered his surroundings. He nodded in greteting, as Yukimura gently pushed Sanada in the direction of some waiting customers, telling him what sounded like 'I'll handle this' and turned back to Shishido. "What can I help you with?" He asked politely, noticing Shishido looking around. He turned back to the other boy, but didn't know what to say.

_Today is someone's birthday and I thought I'd get him flowers since I couldn't think of anything, yeah, that'll work fine._ He opened him mouth to speak, when Yukimura held up a hand to silence him.

"It's for a birthda, right?" He asked, and chuckled when he saw Shishido's surprised look. "We've had quite a few familiar faces come in for stuff like that. Come with me." He motioned for the other to follow, and led him to where some people were standing near a large display. It had roses of different colors lined up and hanging on metalic rings. Yukimura walked around it, and returned with a bouqeut of dark blue flowers. Shishido examined the flowers, listening as Yukimura explained what they were and the meaning.

"These are, as you can tell, blue irises. They symbolize faith and hope. I figured that you really care about whoever your giving them to, seeing as you took the time to come all the way here."

Shishido blushed, "Atobe said this would be the best choice if I wanted to make it special." He said, not making eye contact. He heard Yukimura chuckle, before following him to the check-out counter. Yukimura placeed them on the counter, noting how there were quite a few people watching. It wasn't everyday, maybe not for them, that you see people like them in these kind of places. After paying, Shishido thanked him before heading out the door, taking off the moment it closed behind him. He glanced at his watch, he still had 30 minutes before practice started, and although he was told not to worry about being late, he didn't want to be the last one to say what he really wanted to say.

He stopped at the station, the train wouldn't arrive for another 15 minutes, and it took about 20 to get back to Tokyo. He sighed, he was going to be late anyway, since it took 10 minutes to run back to the school. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pen and leaned against the station wall, writing a message on the paper tag.

_Happy Birthday, Choutarou._

xXxXxXx

Choutarou sighed. Practice had started 15 minutes ago and Shishido _still _hadn't arriveed. Atobe had told him he would be late because he needed to pick something up, but his house wasn't too far away from the school. _Where could he be?_

He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt someone poke his shoulder. He turned to see Hiyoshi standing next to him, worry just barely visible in his eyes.

"Your waiting for Shishido-san, right?" He asked, leaning against the wall they were in front of. Choutarou looked at his friend and sighed. Hiyoshi probably knew how he felt, though. Atobe had done the same thing on _his_ birthday, after all. Though when he came back, he was greeted with a frown and a smack. He definately wasn't going with that approach ever again. Hiyshi had been happy though, even if it wasn't clear to everyone.

"This is turning out to be like your birthday, Hiyo-ko!" Gakuto said, skipping over to where they stood, Oshitari following close behind. Soon after Jirou had decided to join them, abandoning his match with Kabaji for conversation. Hiyoshi frowned, not wanting to relive the memory, even if the others found it funny. Atobe sure didn't, and was still complaining about the bruise.

Atobe noticed his regulars weren't practicing, and went to tell them to continue they're marches.

"What are you all doing standing around? Ore-sama wants you all to go back to the courts and-"

"Keigo."

Atobe turned to Hiyoshi, who had a frown.

"Do be quiet, I'm trying to think."

Atobe felt like responding, when he noticed someone run into the clubhouse. He smiled and turned to Choutarou, who was still deep in his thoughts. He walked up to the tall boy and patted his shoulder. Choutarou looked at him, before Atobe pointed to the clubhouse.

"Theres someone waiting for you." He said, and Choutarou turned to see Shishido stading by the door, waving for him to come over. Hiyoshi gave his friend a gentle shove towards the stairs, mumbling something along the lines of 'Get on with it so we can finish pratice'. He didn't need to be told twice, and ran up the stairs, a smile on his face. He stopped in front of the capped boy, who was trying to hise something behind his back.

"Shishido-san, where were y-" He was cut off by a bouquet of flowers being held in his face. He looked at Shishido, who was looking away, cheeks tinted pink.

"H-happy birthday, Choutarou." He said as the other took the flowers,appreciation shining in his eyes. He looked back at Shishido, a smile on both boys faces.

"Thank you." He said, both lost in their own moment. It wasn't until Gakuto decided to make his appearance that the moment was ruined.

"Waah, Shishido got you flowers? how sweet!" He yelled, he and Jirou on either side of their friend.

"Shut up, it's better than what Oshitari got you last year." He shouted back, face heating up. Gakuto stuck out his tongue, and Jirou laughed. Atobe and the others came up shortly after.

"So you went _there_?" He asked Shishido, a smirk set on his face. Shishido went to stand by Choutarou, who hadn't stopped smiling. He looked down at Shishido, who was redder than before.

"Wheres 'there'?" He asked, wondering what Atobe knew that they didn't.

"A flower shop in Kanagawa, Atobe recomended it." Shishido said, keeping his eyes on the wall. "Though I was a little surprised to see _them_ working there." Everyone except Atobe gave him a questioning look. Atobe just laughed.

"Ore-sama was too, but the panic hid it all." He wasn't lying, though anyone that didn't know the team very well, or his current relationship, would have to wonder what there was to panic about. "But everything worked out in the end, right?" He moved to put his arm around Hiyoshi's shoulder, but the shorter boy moved away, heading down the stairs.

"I'm going back to practice now." He said, everyone but Atobe laughing as said boy rushed down the stairs.

xXxXxXx

This was tough to write(I keep spelling that wrong) especially since it was only that last scene I was thinking about. There wasn't much Silver pair in this, but I just can't focus. I doubt I'm going to get much sleep either.

The new fic I mentioned in the first note is going to be set during the second series, as I said, and I'm going to work on it while I think of what other pairs to put in this one. In truth, it's pretty much finished, I just have to type it out. It's amazing what you can think of in 45 minutes while half-asleep. Then again, that's how most of these happen.

**Title:** On the Other Side(it was all I could think of)

**Summary:** When everyone came back, they were all injured, and it showed. Atobe had to wonder just what Hiyoshi was hiding from him.

Lame, I know, but I'm sticking with it.

Any suggestions for the next chapter?


	5. Chapter 5 Uneven Pair

A/N:Happy birthday Dan~ And a happy belated birthday to Chitose, who's birthday was 2 days ago.

Man I had to pick 2 in the moining to write a fanfic. Anyway I've decided that I need to start writing different pairs, and what other way than this fic? I've put this off for months, since I left for Disney land in summer, so I plan to finally get this out of my head.

Now let's see how much I fail at writing Akutsu. Sorry if he's OOC, but I seriously can't write this guy in this kind of scene.

Pairings this chapter: Uneven pair, Alpha pair(well, duh)

**A Captain's Thank You part 5**

_Riiiing Riiiing Riiing_

Yukimura jumped in his seat, startled by the sudden noise. It was a slow day, so he thought a nap would be fine, seeing as there were no customers and Sanada was out buying supplies. He had laid his head down in his arms for a good twenty minutes before the phone went off. He quickly picked it up, almost dropping in in his haste.

"Hello, Kanagawa Florist, how can we help you?" He said automatically. It wasn't as if they got many call orders, it was rather uncommon as most people prefered to come to the store themselves for reasons he didn't need to know. Nor would Sanada tell him.

"I'd like to order some flowers." Came the gruff reply. Yukimura blinked, the voice sounded vaguely familiar. "What would you recomend for birthdays?"

"It depends on the month. Is it soon?"

"It's tomorrow."

"I see. In January then." He tapped his chin. "I would suggest carna-"

"Jin, who are you talking to?" A voice said on the other end. It sounded like a woman...

"Not now, Yuuki! Go away!" The other voice said angrily.

"Is it Taichi-kun?"

Then it hit him.

"Akutsu-kun?" He said carefully. There was a short silence on the other end, before a sigh.

"Yukimura, right?" Akutsu said in defeat. "I heard from Kawamura that Tezuka got good flowers from you're place."

"I see." Yukimura said. "And you want flowers for a birthday gift? Did you call so we wouldn't know it was you?"

"Kind of."

"You _do_ know that even if you order them, you'd either have to pick them up or give us you're name and address." he was smiling now. _So_ much better than a nap. he heard a grumble on the other side, before he remembered that work wasn't a place for personal amusement. Much. "So as I was saying, for a January birthday I would suggest carnations. A bouquet would cost-"

"I don't want a bouquet, I'm not that much of a wimp." Akutsu said, and Yukimura could tell he was trying not to break the phone.

"I didn't say you were, I'm just doing my job. And my job is to tell you how much a bouquet or a single flower costs."

"... What colors?"

"we have red, pink, light red, white, and yellow currently in stock. For a birthday, however, I wouldn't suggest yellow. If for a lover, I would suggest red or light red. Light red would tell the person you adore and care for them, while red symbolizes romantic-"

"I'll take one of each." Akutsu said, if only to stop him from talking. Yukimura huffed, but said no more. "And, uh, I need a favor." It seemed like it was hard for him to say.

"Yes?" Now he was curious. What could make someone like Akutsu ask a favor from a flower shop worker?

"Can you meet me somewhere to drop them off? I don't want to go there." He heard the tall boy mumble something to himself, but decided not to pry. "I'll pay extra if-"

"It's fine, Sanada and I will drop them off, no extra charge." He said cheerfully. In truth, he just found it as another way to pull Sanada out of that bubble he always seemed to be in.

"I'll need one by eight and..." A pause. "The red one around three."

Yukimura blinked. "Why two different times?"

He stayed quiet as Akutsu explained the plan to him.

xXxXxXx

Akutsu stepped up to the bright blue door, the hand holding the wrapped light red flower behind his back. He rang the doorbell once, not caring who answered. By now Dan's parents had gotten used to his visits to their son, knowing he was in no danger. In fact, and they realised this eventually, he was relatively safer _with_ Akutsu.

He closed his eyes, counting down inside his head. _1, 2, 3.._.

There was a rather loud _thump_ followed by a small cry and the sound of a dog whining. He waited, knowing now who would be answering. The door opened to reveal a rather startled looking Dan, who was rubbing his forehead, wincing as his fingers came in contact with the forming bruise.

"Akutsu-sempai!" He cheered, green headband sliding a bit over his left eye. He pushed it back up, smiling. "What are you doing here?"

Akutsu quickly pulled out the flower, pushing it into the smaller boy's hands.

"Happy birthday, Taichi." He said, averting his gaze. Well, this was _awkward_.

Dan stared at the flower for a good while before his face broke out into a large grin. He lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Akutsu.

"Thank you!" He cried happily. "I'm so happy!"

Akutsu shifted awkwardly. This hadn't been the first time Dan hugged him, but he still felt a bit uncomforable. He cleared his throat, catching the other's attention.

"Grab you're jacket, we're going out."

xXxXxXx

Sanada sneezed, January wasn't one of his favorite months. It was the middle of winter for god's sake! What was Yukimura thinking dragging him out here?

"Seiichi, why are we following them?" He asked warily. He had come back to the store at the same moment the blue-haired boy hung up the phone. When he asked who it was, Yukimura had simply said 'keep tomorrow open'.

"Akutsu-kun asked me to drop off the second flower around three near the park, so I figured we might as well kill time." Yukimura said, smiling. Sanada frowned.

"And you're idea of 'killing time' is following those two on their date?"

"Only for a little while, at least until they get to where they're going."

xXxXxXx

Dan had, quite literally, dragged him all over the zoo. After seeing more than enough of lions and tigers and bears, he had decided it was late enough and decided to take him home. On the way they passed by the park, where he stopped them by the small pond.

"I need to go check something, so wait here, okay?" Akutsu said, patting the younger boy on the head. Dan smiled and said 'okay' before he went to sit on one of the benches by the pond, watching the ducks. Akutsu quickly went over to the fountain, where he had planned to meet up with Yukimura. Yukimura looked up at him from his seat on the edge. He held out the small red flower.

"Here you go." He said with a smile. Akutsu took it, nodding in thanks, before running back to where Dan was. Sanada walked over to the fountain, two cups of hot chocolate in his hands. He handed one to Yukimura, who took it with another smile. He took a seat on the stone structure, watching as Akutsu ran past another tree.

"I guess this means we can go now?" He said, facing Yukimura again. He blew on his drink, taking a slow sip.

"If you want." He said. "But I'd rather enjoy this lovely day. It's been a while since the skies were so blue." Sanada couldn't help but feel it was just an excuse to keep him outside. In the cold.

xXxXxXx

Dan watched the ducks with mild interest. He had seen enough at the zoo to last him a while, so staring at them did little to keep him amused. He let his mind wander, only for it to snap back to Akutsu. Where was he? He was about to stand up and go look for him, when a large hand was placed on his head. He looked up, meeting Akutsu's eyes.

"Sempai!"

"Hey." He said, reaching out and placing something in Dan's lap. He looked down, gasping in surprise.

"But sempai already gave me a flower." He said, picking up the red carnations and looking back up.

"Yeah, well, think of this as extra for our date."

A short silence took place between the two, Dan looking up at him in confusion.

"Wait, this was a date?"

Akutsu groaned.

xXxXxXx

Oh god it's 6:00 am and I woke up at 1 yesterday. I think I've eaten too much sugar again. Anyway, sorry if a lot of this didn't make senze, but I just really wanted to end it. Sorry if I made Akutsu a bit OOC in the beginning, but hey, this is a hard fic to write. Even after all the other stuff I've done that's supposed to be more difficult.

Next chapter: Yummi


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